Ravenglass & Eskdale Railway 0-8-2 No. 'River Irt'
Ravenglass, Cumbria, UK 		Location: Ravenglass & Eskdale Railway
Status: Operational
Posted: Mar 16, 2022 @ 13:03:27 by Russell Newman
The Ravenglass & Eskdale Railway 0-8-2 "River Irt" will be visiting the Romney Hythe & Dymchurch Railway as their visiting locomotive for their “95th Anniversary” Steam and Diesel Gala on the 14th and 15th of May 2022.
Posted: Aug 8, 2019 @ 14:08:19 by Russell Newman
Ravenglass & Eskdale Railway 0-8-2 "River Irt" will visit the Kirklees Light Railway as part of a good line up of visiting locomotives for their Steam and Diesel Gala on the 14th and 15th of September 2019.
Posted: Feb 25, 2019 @ 05:02:08 by Russell Newman
The Ravenglass & Eskdale Railway based 0-6-2 "River Irt" is one of two visiting 15inch gauge locomotives visiting Beamish North of England Open Air Museum for the very first time for their Great North Steam Fair on the 11th to 14th of April 2019. As Beamish has laid a short 15inch gauge demonstration line at their Colliery railway and will be giving rides along it for the very first time.
Posted: Aug 22, 2017 @ 13:08:07 by Robin R Beck
'River Irt' was built as a 0-8-0T at Duffield Bank by Sir Arthur P. Heywood, and was called 'Muriel'. It was used on demonstration railway until 1916, then arrived at Ravenglass in 1917. A 1921 overhaul included reducing cylinders size, as loco using more steam than the boiler could produce. In 1927 it was converted to a 0-8-2 tender loco when a new boiler was fitted. More alterations over the years have slightly changed her outline. This is the oldest 15 inch gauge operating steam locomotive. Today it is still taking full trains of tourist along the railway it has worked on for 100 years.

The Ravenglass & Eskdale Railway Preservation Society website has good histories of their locos.

Sir Arthur P. Heywood wanted to prove a 15 inch gauge railway was workable, hoping then to sell the railway equipment & locomotives his works could produce to industry & the military. He built an extensive 15 inch demonstration line at Duffield Bank and also started constructing locomotives. In order of manufacture they were called 'Effie', 'Ella', 'Muriel', 'Katie', 'Shelagh' & 'Ursula'. The first 3 for his demonstration line, the last three his only sale to the Duke Of Westminster to operate on a railway Heywood supplied to the Duke's Eaton Hall estate in Cheshire.

Heywood passed away in 1916 and the Ravenglass & Eskdale railway purchased most of his demonstration line and engines as the railway had just been leased to W. J. Bassett Lowke who was converting the railway from 36 inch to 15 inch gauge at the time.

The new enlarged railway museum at Ravenglass has many exhibits that still survive from this era including one section of frame from 'Ella', the name & works plates plus a side tank from 'Muriel'. The museum gives you the impression nothing was ever thrown away. 'Muriel's side tank was removed 90 years ago!

Posted: Apr 20, 2005 @ 13:04:24 by

Driver Diameter: 17.5"

Boiler Pressure: 165 lb psi

Posted: Apr 19, 2005 @ 12:04:50 by
Was rebuilt from Sir Arthur Heywood's Muriel in 1927, and renamed River Irt. Muriel was originally built in 1894 at Duffield Bank, and was aquired by the R&ER in 1917. River Irt is the oldest working 15" gauge loco in the world.
Posted: Jul 28, 2003 @ 11:07:20 by Railfreak
In service on R&ER